Matthew Lewinski, 42, was sentencedd to life in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Courtney “Jerri” Winters

A Michigan man has learned his fate for strangling his ex-girlfriend to death and then leaving her mutilated corpse in his basement for months.

Matthew Lewinski, 42, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on July 14 for the December 2020 murder of his ex-girlfriend, 52-year-old Courtney “Jerri” Winters, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday. He was found guilty by a jury of first-degree premeditated murder, disinterment and mutilation of a dead body and concealing the death of an individual.

Lewinski strangled his ex-girlfriend at his home and initially left her body in the bathtub before putting it in the basement, the prosecutor’s office said. The corpse remained there for months, with Lewinski periodically removing “portions of the victim’s remains in an effort to conceal and dispose of the body.”

Lewinski’s efforts were in vain, however: he was hospitalized in July 2021 after being found wandering his condo complex in his underwear, mumbling incoherently, per an appellate court document reviewed by PEOPLE. His sister then went to his home and discovered Winters’ body.

The couple had already broken up when Winters unexpectedly came to Lewinski’s house on that December day and informed him she had gotten an abortion, the Macomb Daily reports.

The pair eventually erupted into a verbal dispute that became physical, with slaps exchanged and Winters biting Lewinski before he began to choke her, the outlet reports.

He also made a hospital-bed confession to police after the body was discovered, which became a point of contention in the proceedings as Lewinski argued he should have been read his Miranda rights. The confession was initially tossed by the trial court judge but was reinstated by the Michigan Court of Appeals, according to the Morning Sun.

Winters was never reported missing between her death and the discovery of her body, per the Macomb Daily.

Source: https://people.com/mich-man-lived-with-girlfriend-corpse-months-12019262